Hupac restarts Busto–Barcelona
Hupac will restart its intermodal rail service between Busto Arsizio/Gallarate and Barcelona on 9 November 2026, with three round trips a week. The service will strengthen rail freight connections between Italy and Spain, using the new Barcelona Combiconnect terminal as a gateway to the Spanish network. From Barcelona, connections will be available to some of the main domestic destinations identified by the operator: Tarragona, Madrid and Seville. The reopening of the route will therefore extend coverage of the Spanish market by integrating the international service with domestic connections. According to Hupac, the new set-up will increase frequencies and the range of connections available to operators.
Super Ecocombis head onto public roads
The Netherlands is pressing ahead with a project to test the Super Ecocombi on public roads, a combination around 32 metres long consisting of a tractor unit and two standard semi-trailers connected by a dolly. The preliminary trial has not yet started and remains subject to technical inspections and exemptions from the RDW. The maximum permitted weight for this phase has been reduced from 72 to 64 tonnes. The selected route connects Rotterdam, Moerdijk and Venlo, while preliminary technical checks are being carried out at the RDW test track in Lelystad. An escort service is also planned for the first road runs as part of the safety assessment. The programme will collect data on the vehicle combination’s behaviour and its interaction with other road users. The project has been delayed compared with the original timetable, which envisaged an initial trial by the end of 2025. If the results are positive, a pilot project involving several vehicles is planned for summer 2027. Configurations of 72 and 57.5 tonnes are being considered for that phase, although these do not correspond to the limits applying to the preliminary trial. The longer-term aim is to assess the use of longer vehicle combinations in freight transport, while the available information does not yet indicate any authorisation for their regular use on public roads.
Betuweroute to close in November
The Betuweroute’s direct rail connection with Germany will be closed from 9 to 16 November 2026 for a new phase of work on the Emmerich–Oberhausen section. The closure affects the German continuation of the Dutch freight line and is part of the programme to expand the infrastructure from two to three tracks. Work during the closure will include bridges and level crossings in Oberhausen and Emmerich. The new construction window follows an intensive phase lasting from November 2024 to May 2026, during which traffic was periodically reduced or suspended. During this period, 17.5 kilometres of track and 25.5 kilometres of overhead line were installed, together with nine kilometres of noise barriers. A further 21 bridges were extended or rebuilt and five level crossings removed. The November closure will also affect regional passenger services and make the direct freight connection across the border unavailable. Documented alternative routes for rail freight run via Venlo and Oldenzaal–Bad Bentheim, where demand can exceed available capacity during full closures. The Emmerich–Oberhausen section forms the German continuation of the Rotterdam–Genoa rail corridor and is therefore also an important piece of infrastructure for traffic heading towards Switzerland and Italy.
Spain upgrades port access
Spain has planned 60 projects to improve land connections to its ports, with a total value of €1.93 billion, under the Port Land Accessibility Fund. The programme includes 43 rail and 17 road projects, with public port bodies contributing €875.1 million. A significant part of the programme concerns 16 agreements with Adif covering works worth €1.1936 billion, to which the port system is contributing €457.6 million. The projects comprise 21 last-mile schemes, 25 on the general transport network and 14 at terminals. Some projects have already been completed, including works at Lezo, Escombreras, Sagunto, La Cabezuela and the Marchamalo intermodal terminal. Other projects under way include rail access to the outer port of Ferrol, the Algeciras–Bobadilla line and new rail links to the ports of Seville and Castellón. Work on the Algeciras–Bobadilla line includes track upgrades, electrification and longer passing loops, also in connection with the future Algeciras–Zaragoza rolling motorway. The programme allows the port system to finance infrastructure outside port areas when it improves accessibility and intermodal transport. The €1.1936 billion linked to the agreements with Adif represents the value of the works and not new funding provided entirely by the ports.
Russia boosts Trans-Arctic Corridor
Russia has included more than 300 projects worth 36 trillion roubles in a programme to develop the Trans-Arctic Corridor and create transport capacity of up to 150 million tonnes of freight a year. The plan integrates ports, railways, energy production and new industrial developments, linking Arctic shipping with land infrastructure and production hubs in northern Russia. Projects include the development of the ports of Arkhangelsk and Nayba, the expansion of the Murmansk hub and the Northern Latitudinal Railway, which together are expected to provide potential capacity of around 100 million tonnes. On the energy side, around 1.4 GW is expected to be added to Arctic power grids by 2035, taking the capacity of the main regional infrastructure to 5.6 GW, while investors are expected to build a further 3.5 GW directly. Moscow is therefore seeking to generate the freight volumes needed along the corridor through mining, manufacturing and energy activities. In 2025, 5.4 million tonnes were reportedly transported between Russian and Chinese ports in 23 container voyages, while more than 30 sailings are expected in 2026. Traffic growth will nevertheless depend on the availability of the financing needed to turn the projects into construction work and operational infrastructure. The availability of icebreakers and suitable ships, rescue services and regular freight volumes will also remain decisive.
